Gordo's Lobster Cakes & Halloween Ale

| Posted in Beer, Reviews

Gordo’s Lobster Cakes received 3½ stars from the Eat & Run review in today’s Press Herald.

If you’re looking for a different way to eat lobster, this cake is lighter and less messy than other alternatives. It’s a good to-go food. I can see it becoming a novelty item for tourists. I’m not so sure how well locals will take to it.

The only other sandwich the cart sells is a lobster roll ($10), which I heartily enjoyed. It was held together with a little mayo, and contained some chopped celery and fresh basil. Carolyn Smith says she doesn’t measure the amount of lobster meat she puts in the roll, but she tries to be generous.

Also in Thursday’s paper is a What Ales You column on Gritty’s 2010 Halloween Ale.

“This is the 21st year of Halloween Ale, and we start on Friday the 13th,” Ed Stebbins, Gritty’s brew master, said last week. “We always brew the first batch on a full moon or Friday the 13th.”

Halloween Ale is an extra-special bitter with 6 percent alcohol, and Stebbins promises “no pumpkins were harmed in the brewing of this beer. I promised my mother I would never put spices or fruit in any of our beer.”

Gordo’s Lobster Cakes & Halloween Ale

| Posted in Beer, Reviews

Gordo’s Lobster Cakes received 3½ stars from the Eat & Run review in today’s Press Herald.

If you’re looking for a different way to eat lobster, this cake is lighter and less messy than other alternatives. It’s a good to-go food. I can see it becoming a novelty item for tourists. I’m not so sure how well locals will take to it.

The only other sandwich the cart sells is a lobster roll ($10), which I heartily enjoyed. It was held together with a little mayo, and contained some chopped celery and fresh basil. Carolyn Smith says she doesn’t measure the amount of lobster meat she puts in the roll, but she tries to be generous.

Also in Thursday’s paper is a What Ales You column on Gritty’s 2010 Halloween Ale.

“This is the 21st year of Halloween Ale, and we start on Friday the 13th,” Ed Stebbins, Gritty’s brew master, said last week. “We always brew the first batch on a full moon or Friday the 13th.”

Halloween Ale is an extra-special bitter with 6 percent alcohol, and Stebbins promises “no pumpkins were harmed in the brewing of this beer. I promised my mother I would never put spices or fruit in any of our beer.”

Backyard Locavore Tour and More Smiling Hill Tomatoes

| Posted in Events, General News

Today’s Press Herald includes an article on the Backyard Locavore Tour taking place this weekend,

After more than 300 people bought tickets to last year’s inaugural Backyard Locavore Tour, the organizers are getting ready for another oversized crowd when the edible garden excursion returns this Saturday. Unlike more typical garden tours, this event highlights plots growing vegetables, fruits and herbs, with a few offering a glimpse of small livestock husbandry and beekeeping.

and additional reporting on Smiling Hill Farm’s plans to get into the greenhouse tomato business.

Knight, whose farm now produces a variety of dairy products, said the greenhouse could create about 100 jobs. It’s also projected to yield 12 million to 14 million pounds of tomatoes each year, said Larry Gianatti Sr., president of Quality Sales Inc., a produce distributor in Hartford, Conn.

Baja Dogs and Grace made cameo appearances in an article about hot dog vendors in Maine.

Grill Room Review

| Posted in Reviews

From Away has published a review of The Grill Room.

Certainly there were other items that intrigued. The warm ricotta appetizer and bacon and egg salad could be worth revisiting. It was with a sad sigh I exited, stuffed and unsatisfied. It wasn’t cheap either. Two rounds of cocktails did augment the bill, but still. I must say, I was disappointed. The chef, Harding Lee Smith, seems very pleased with himself, plastered all over his restaurants websites. I hope last night’s dinner would not be considered up to his standards, as our group concensus was that our experience at The Grill Room deserved a solid 7.

Cockeyed Gull & Outdoor Dining

| Posted in Profiles, Uncategorized, General News

The Portland Daily Sun has published a profile of Cockeyed Gull on Peaks Island and an article about the risks and rewards of outdoor dining in Portland.

I recently read a blog comment that “you don’t go to Peaks Island for the food.” I would agree with the addition of one word: you don’t go to Peaks Island only for the food. But once you are there, the Cockeyed Gull is among the lovely places for a meal. The back deck offers a view across the harbor at Portland’s skyline unobscured by streetlights, dock detritus or people. Herbs grow in planters atop the railing and while the rest of the food has to be brought in by ferry, it’s no more than the twenty-minute ferry ride older than anything you’d buy on the mainland.

Cockeyed Gull & Outdoor Dining

| Posted in Profiles, Uncategorized, General News

The Portland Daily Sun has published a profile of Cockeyed Gull on Peaks Island and an article about the risks and rewards of outdoor dining in Portland.

I recently read a blog comment that “you don’t go to Peaks Island for the food.” I would agree with the addition of one word: you don’t go to Peaks Island only for the food. But once you are there, the Cockeyed Gull is among the lovely places for a meal. The back deck offers a view across the harbor at Portland’s skyline unobscured by streetlights, dock detritus or people. Herbs grow in planters atop the railing and while the rest of the food has to be brought in by ferry, it’s no more than the twenty-minute ferry ride older than anything you’d buy on the mainland.

This Week's Events

| Posted in Events

Tuesday — Jon David Headrick Selections will be at Rosemont on Bright Ave for a wine tasting in the afternoon and will be at Hugo’s for 6 course a JD Headrick wine dinner.
Wednesday — there will be two wine tastings at RSVP and Old Port Wine Merchants.
Thursday — the Maine Writer’s & Publisher’s Alliance is coordinating a series of dinners with 10 authors at Portland area restaurants.
Friday — Rosemont Market on Munjoy Hill is holding a wine tasting.
Saturday — the 2010 Backyard Locavore Tour will give you a chance to tour a number of gardens in the Greater Portland area, St Peter’s Church on Federal Street is holding their 85th Annual Italian Bazaar, Wine Wise is teaching a class at The Wine Bar, and two wine tastings at Scarborough Wine Outlet and Black Cherry Provisions.
Sunday — the 2nd day of St Peter’s Italian Bazaar.
Farmer’s Markets — the traditional series of Farmer’s Markets are taking place Monday (Monument Square), Wednesday (Monument Square) and Saturday (Deering Oaks Park). Cultivating Community is running their new series of markets Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at various locations around the city. Winter is still many months away but the Winter Farmers Market is planning for a second season and is looking for a new home. If you have any suggestions contact them at www.portlandmainewintermarket.com.
For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.
If you are holding a food event this week that’s not listed above, publicize it by adding it as a comment to this post.